Cold Magic, Cold Fire, Cold Steel--Kate Elliott

[Michael]

I've really enjoyed the two entries in the Spirit Walker trilogy to date. I'm sure she isn't the only author doing it, but in my limited reading experience I feel like Elliott has written some of the most realistically influential female characters I've seen. She really seems to capture that strong but vulnerable element with her protagonist Cat.

Any other Elliott readers out there?

[Stephan]

I've just read your review, and seriously does sound good! I loved Michelle's tweet btw:

Me: "Cold Fire by @KateElliottSFF t.co/yAysiXnv @orbitbooks The story of a young woman able to influence her world without leather pants."

Michelle: "@RantingDragon @KateElliottSFF You mean that's possible? Dammit, I just spent 2 hours getting these on! "

[Aldric]

Hah! Those tweets are awesome.

Like most non-new authors you guys mention, I've read her old stuff! I read her Crown of Stars forever ago. Nothing newer. Though hearing "epic steampunk romance" makes me think I'll be trying some of her other stuff instead of this one, seeing as I don't tend to like the latter two of those 3 words.

[Michael]

The steampunk is more a background setting thing, though it's pretty important thematically. The romance, well that's very foreground - it worked for me this time (maybe because I never read romance so it was a bit fresh).

[Aldric]

I mean, every other book has some romance involved in it. It's usually just not my "bag" when it's the foremost issue. I want to gag every time I run into a tangled love triangle. I've read steampunk books I like, I've just read more of the reverse. If it was only a setting thing, which you say this is, that's usually no problem, of course.

[pooks]

I liked Cold Magic a lot and just downloaded Cold Fire when it was available last Tuesday. It's my next read.

It says a lot that I liked this world because I really, really lost interest in the His Dark Materials trilogy when it got to the frozen parts. (I was not a big fan already, but that did me in.) So the idea that this world was more or less frozen made me flashback to that and think, oh no, do I want to read a whole book in this kind of place?

And of course, I did, and I did.

[Michael]

It says a lot that I liked this world because I really, really lost interest in the His Dark Materials trilogy when it got to the frozen parts. (I was not a big fan already, but that did me in.) So the idea that this world was more or less frozen made me flashback to that and think, oh no, do I want to read a whole book in this kind of place?

I imagine by now you have read the good news for yourself - Cold Fire's primary setting doesn't have a snow flake in sight!

[pooks]

At this point I don't even care. I am rereading Cold Magic because I realized I'd lost too much of it to enjoy Cold Fire. I'm loving every word, and maybe even more than the first time because I'm picking up on things I didn't notice before. I really do love this world and these characters.

[pooks]

Spiritwalker Series

The history of the world begins in ice, and it will end in ice.


Read an Afro-Celtic post-Roman icepunk Regency fantasy adventure with airships, Phoenician spies, the intelligent descendents of troodons, and a dash of steampunk whose gas lamps can be easily doused by the touch of a powerful cold mage.

Is anybody else reading this trilogy? I read Cold Magic last year, and then reread it again over the past few days before diving into Cold Fire.

[pooks]

Okay, expanding on my own first post--

This world was more confusing to me the first time I read it, and the second time everything worked much better. However, I read it last year when I was either tense and stressed during my mother's illness, or numb and stressed after her death. (Don't want to be a downer; all is good. But it just seems too significant to skip that my reason for not connecting quite as well last year on the first read could easily be something specific to my situation at the time.)

I really love Catherine and her cousin, Bee. They are both really strong female characters, even Bee who is feminine beauty personified. I also love Andevai, the hero, who is riddled with flaws, and Rory (who I won't mention anything specific about since he shows up later, but he's wonderful). I love characterization done well and Kate Elliott does that in spades.

One thing in particular--and this is probably very picky. Or else it's extremely meaningful, and I am not sure. Cat learns something devastating about herself when she's somehow magically bound to tell the truth and can't speak a particular fact about herself, meaning, something she believed about herself isn't true. It was very effective.

However, two or three times later in the book when she was overwhelmed or emotional, angry, whatever--she couldn't speak because "her tongue turned to stone," or something similar. And I found myself wondering, is this something else that's not true? Or is this just a turn of phrase that I wouldn't have questioned had it not been used as a plot devise? Now that I consider it, it probably isn't about truth since in these other situations she isn't under any compulsion. But it seemed an unfortunate choice of words to fall back on under the circumstances.

Okay, that's a bit of my reaction so far. How about the rest of you?

[Stephan]

I never did intend to read these books, but from what both you and Michael say about it, it sort of sounds like I should!

[pooks]

How embarrassing. I not only lost this thread but even forgot about it. I need to check my brain in for cleaning and blowing the dust out!

It's interesting that some consider this a romance. Maybe it's even marketed as such, I'm not sure. It uses a plot device often used in historical romances, that a young woman discovers she was (magically) bound to marry someone not of her choice, and was never told until he shows up to marry her, so that situation is certainly at the forefront of the story, but there aren't any heaving bosoms, hot sexxors, tantalizing "almosts" or any of the other sexual tropes romance readers would expect. The male and female protags aren't even together much of the time. On the other hand, I don't know what happens in Cold Fire. Maybe the romance becomes more "romance" in it.

[Stephan]

I don't think I've ever equated romance with "heaving bosoms, hot sexxors, tantalizing "almosts" or any of the other sexual tropes." I thought romance was about love, while those things would be the main elements of erotica...

[pooks]

I don't think I've ever equated romance with "heaving bosoms, hot sexxors, tantalizing "almosts" or any of the other sexual tropes." I thought romance was about love, while those things would be the main elements of erotica...

Well, much of the romance genre has heavy doses of erotica in it, but it's supposed to be more about the story and relationship with characterization and such, not just sex.

I might be wrong, but I think the complexity of the world-building and the richness of the characterization mixed with plot twists would make this a lot more appealing to you than whatever idea "romance" brings to mind.

[Stephan]

It probably will. Also, I might have a more... uh... romanticized ( ) idea of romance because I grew up reading sappy Christian romances. Those mostly lacked erotica.

[pooks]

They would.

[ocd_faerie]

Just read all of the above, and I've been looking at these books in my local bookstore for a while now. I may have to take another look ...